Nanotechnology Applications in Enhancing Heat and Mass Transfer in Membrane Distillation: A Novel Technique

Membrane distillation (MD) is a thermally driven separation process that offers significant potential for applications such as desalination, wastewater treatment, and industrial water recovery. However, the efficiency of MD is often constrained by low thermal conductivity, temperature and concentration polarization, and membrane fouling. This study proposes a novel Nano-Engineered Membrane with Thermal Pathway Optimization (NEM-TPO) designed to address these challenges by integrating advanced nanomaterials and structural modifications. The NEM-TPO membrane features a multi-layered nanocomposite structure with thermally conductive nanoparticles, including hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and graphene nanosheets, along with micro-patterned vapor transport channels and a hydrophobic, anti-fouling coating of functionalized silica nanoparticles. Experimental validation demonstrated a 30% increase in vapor flux and a significant reduction in temperature polarization compared to conventional MD membranes, with enhanced thermal conductivity reaching $0.85 \mathrm{~W} / \mathrm{m} \cdot \mathrm{K}$. The NEM-TPO membrane also exhibited excellent fouling resistance, with less than 5% flux decline over 100 hours of continuous operation. These findings highlight the NEM-TPO membrane’s potential to enhance MD performance through improved heat and mass transfer, making it a promising candidate for sustainable and efficient water treatment technologies. Future research should focus on scaling fabrication processes and further optimizing membrane design for industrial applications.